The State of Data Center Evolution

Overview: Most IT executives say that some of their organizations' data centers will max out of power, cooling or space by the end of 2014, according to new research from UBM Tech and InformationWeek Marketing Services. The study, conducted in April 2013, takes an in-depth look at how IT decision makers rate the challenges they face as they evolve data centers to handle fast-growing volumes of data. Among the key findings:

Only 17 percent are actively planning or undertaking to build a new data center. However, over the next two years, 29 percent of respondents say they plan to perform a major upgrade on one or more data centers and 20 percent would consolidate data centers into fewer facilities.

As few as 18 percent plan only to maintain their current data centers without significantly upgrading hardware. Rather than investing capital in new buildings, respondents are upgrading equipment, consolidating and refreshing hardware.

More than half of the IT execs are actively considering moving forward with server consolidation, blade deployment, virtualization and outsourcing servers/storage, and installing more energy-efficient equipment.